Baseball can be cruel, but it can also be rewarding.

Marlboro pitcher Matt Ciarimboli and catcher Justin Piscopo both had difficult first innings, but both had key hits in the Iron Dukes’ 8-7 win over the Beacon Bulldogs to win the tournament championship on Saturday at Beacon High School.

Piscopo broke a 3-3 tie in the fifth inning with a one-out single and then two batters later, Ciarimboli delivered a two-run double to give the Iron Dukes a four-run lead.

“I just stayed with my approach and just drove the ball the other way where it was pitched and I drove in two runs,” Piscopo said.

It was a far cry better than when the game started when the Bulldogs got three runs in the first inning, added by a shaky performance by Ciarimboli on the mound and two errors by Piscopo trying to throw out base stealers.

“He also laid down a bunt earlier in the game that was right down the line,” Marlboro coach John Morrissey said. “I’m definitely proud of him for doing that. We had a lot of contributors today and some guys really stepped up.”

One of those was freshman Liam Correa, who relieved Ciarimboli in the second inning. He threw three scoreless innings, giving the Iron Dukes an opportunity to take the lead.

“He really picked up Matt,” Piscopo said. “He picked up his teammate and that was the best part about that.”

The Iron Dukes got a run back against Tom Grogan in the fifth inning on a solo home run by Mikey Fontaine. Then the Bulldogs made things interesting in the seventh inning, scoring three runs before Roy Underwood, Jr. induced a pop-up to end the game.

“It was definitely a nail biter,” said Cooper Vogel, who was named tournament MVP after delivering a grand slam in the opening game, a 13-4 win over the Chester Hambletonians. “The freshmen stepped up big.”

Casey Vogel got the win on the mound for the Iron Dukes in the first game, supported by Cooper’s grand slam. Tommy Benfer had four hits, including a double and two RBIs, and Chris DeNatale had three hits and two RBIs. John Ryder doubled, singled twice and drove in a run, while Mitch Neer tripled and singled. Ciarimboli had two RBIs and Piscopo had two hits.

“(Being MVP) feels great,” Cooper Vogel said. “Tommy Benfer hit the ball good. The pitching staff was good, and the freshmen stepped up. Roy and Liam did outstanding.”

Correa and Underwood pitched with the varsity on Saturday to give the Iron Dukes greater pitching depth as they played six games in six days, with Friday being their only day off.

They picked up an 11-4 win over Our Lady of Lourdes on April 22 before playing 10 innings against the Rondout Valley Ganders, a game which was stopped due to darkness tied, 10-10. They also defeated Saugerties, 11-1 on Wednesday and New Paltz, 5-4, on Friday.

It tested not only The Iron Dukes’ pitching depth, but also Piscopo’s legs, who after an injury to Carter Rivieccio did most of the catching last week, including most of Saturday’s double header.

“That shows what this team can be made of,” Morrissey said.